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3 Reasons to Buy 2014's Smartest Company

Gene sequencing stock Illumina has exploded onto the scene with huge gains for investors, but could the best be yet to come for this exciting company?

Looking for one of the new year's fastest-rising stocks? Look no further than Illumina(NASDAQ:ILMN), the gene-sequencing giant that's taken the market by storm, gaining more than 250% over the past two years. However, that rapid climb has given way to caution: Some now worry about the stock's sky-high valuation and whether it's worth a buy or not.

For the long-term investor, however, Illumina is full of potential in the long run. The company's the dominant early leader in a growing genetic sequencing market that some analysts predict could reach $20 billion annually in the near future. It's hard to find a more innovative company on the markets, as well: MIT Technology Review recently ranked Illumina as its number-one firm on its "50 Smartest Companies" list for 2014, citing the firm's dominant 70% market share in the industry and its development of groundbreaking technologies, such as the $1,000 human genome. Illumina's dominance in the early days of the gene sequencing market have the company poised to ride its innovation and brains to years of success.

Will that translate to the firm's high-flying stock over the the coming years, however? Find out in the video below, as Motley Fool contributor Dan Carroll tells you three reasons why Illumina is a great stock for any investor thinking in the long run -- and why this health care stock's run-up might be only the beginning.